Conditions for Becoming the Strongest

Ning Qi had already taken a step the instant Gong Heavenly Dao's array patterns appeared.

The array patterns also appeared beneath his feet.

The shifting light and shadow disrupted the array patterns used by Gong Heavenly Dao.

In the end, only Gong Heavenly Dao and his cultivators, along with a portion of Hai Zu's subordinates who were nearby, disappeared from everyone's sight.

When everyone came to their senses, they realized that they had already fallen into the phantom of the divine mountain, sitting at the foot of the mountain ancestor.

The sudden change in the scene startled everyone present.

Sword Ancestor, Qi Keqing, and the others were still shaken. If they had been teleported away by the array patterns set up by Gong Heavenly Dao, they didn't know what kind of situation they would have faced.

Meanwhile, the cultivators under the command of the Sea Ancestor, including Zhao Yujun of the Moon Sea Immortal Sect, also showed a hint of lingering fear.

They weren't afraid of Gong Heavenly Dao, but rather of being teleported into the Mount Buzhou and falling into the hands of the Mountain Ancestor.

Who knows what fate awaits them if they fall into the hands of the Mountain Ancestor? It certainly won't be a good thing.

Zhao Yujun and the others cast grateful glances at Ning Qi.

If it weren't for Ning Qi, who had extremely high expertise in Formation, they would probably all have been teleported away by Gong Heavenly Dao.

Because of Ning Qi's presence, only about one-tenth of them were teleported away.

"Fellow Daoist Ning, thank you!"

Zhao Yujun's beautiful face showed some anxiety, but she still smiled at Ning Qi.

Ning Qi shook his head slightly.

There's no need for thanks between us, especially since I didn't save all of you.

Zhao Yujun said, "Fellow Daoist Ning, please don't say that. I think that besides us, the Sea Ancestor would also be very grateful to you. Without you, the Sea Ancestor would probably face even greater trouble!"

That's absolutely right, but Ning Qi didn't respond. Instead, he said, "Let's withdraw some more men and then continue observing."

Therefore, he and Zhao Yujun led their cultivators to retreat a considerable distance towards the Haoran Realm.

At this point, everyone felt that the war had developed to a point where they could no longer understand it.

Previously, things were fine; they only needed to fight against cultivators from the other world.

But now, after the arrival of the three patriarchs, things have become extremely strange.

One moment it was the Sea Ancestor and the Mountain Ancestor fighting against the Holy Ancestor, but now it has become the Sea Ancestor, the Holy Ancestor, and the Mountain Ancestor fighting together.

How will this war in the spirit world end?

Not only did this question arise in their minds, but they also doubted their own safety.

Damn it, we've all barely made it to the later stages of the war, we don't want to die at the very end, that would be so frustrating!

The group continued to gaze at the distant Mount Buzhou.

The Holy Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor were surprised to see that Gong Heavenly Dao had used Teleportation Formation to send many cultivators to the illusory image of Mount Buzhou of the Mountain Ancestor.

They were both taken aback.

Only by activating their eyes with the aura of immortality can the illusory image of Mount Buzhou perceive things that are otherwise unseen.

Now that the Mountain Ancestor has summoned all the cultivators here, what exactly is his plan?

The Holy Ancestor was extremely fortunate that he had previously sent many cultivators from the Vast Realm back to the Vast Realm.

Unlike the Mountain and Sea Realm, the two ancestors did not allow the cultivators to return to the Mountain and Sea Realm at all. In fact, the Mountain Ancestor deliberately used the Mount Buzhou to block the passage back to the Mountain and Sea Realm.

"Haoshan, release my men!"

Hai Zu's long hair stood on end, and his entire being exuded a chilling Sha Qi. A layer of gray Boundary Sea energy surrounded his body, and coupled with his increasingly crazed expression, he gave off a rather terrifying feeling.

However, this kind of terror was nothing to the Mountain Ancestor who entered the vast phantom of Mount Buzhou.

Perhaps, for the current Mountain Ancestor, he doesn't care much about not only the Sea Ancestor, but even the Holy Ancestor.

The only thing that bothered him was that Gong Heavenly Dao hadn't teleported all the cultivators from the Mountain and Sea Realm who were nearby, which would slightly affect the spells he was about to unleash.

It's all that talented kid's fault!

The Mountain Ancestor glanced at Ning Qi in the distance.

His eyes were sharp and piercing, as if they held the very essence of the universe's creation and destruction.

With just one glance, Ning Qi felt a terrifying sensation, like an ordinary person being stared at by a ferocious beast.

Ning Qi hadn't felt this way in a long time.

Even when facing the Sea Ancestor and the Holy Ancestor, he didn't feel this kind of pressure. The Mountain Ancestor before him also never gave him this feeling, but now the Mountain Ancestor gave him this feeling.

Fortunately, the Mountain Ancestor's current focus is not on Ning Qi Ning Qi, who is at most just a cultivator with some talent.

The idea of surviving the thirty-six heavenly Heavenly Tribulation or surpassing everyone in the history of both realms will all cease to exist from now on.

The Mountain Ancestor hovered within the illusory image of Mount Buzhou, flying high above, his entire being scrutinizing the Sea Ancestor and the Holy Ancestor with a look of utter contemplation.

"Qinghai, why are you still so naive?"

A faint smile played on his lips as he continued, "If you had dared to use the power of the Boundary Sea earlier and fight me to the death, things wouldn't have turned out this way."

Do you know why you always lose to me?

Hai Zu coldly asked, "Why?"

The Mountain Ancestor shook his head dismissively, "Because although you have become the Sea Ancestor, who seems to be able to rival me, you still lack the mindset of a true strongman, the number one!"

"You've always been bound by your own bottom line, always living in your emotions, always dwelling on the past. Hmph, with so many constraints, how can you become number one?"

Even Haizu's exquisitely beautiful face had its azure eyebrows raised in a frown.

She said, "I don't know what you actually gained from the Inheritance. I only know that you weren't that kind of person before. Is becoming the number one really that important? So important that you have to abandon everything, so important that you'd even do something as inhuman as murdering your master?"

The Mountain Ancestor shook his head and said, "You still don't understand. Why don't you ask that well-read old fellow beside you? He should have read the history books of immortality, right?"

Hai Zu couldn't help but look at Sheng Zu, his icy eyes seemingly yearning for an answer.

The Holy Ancestor glanced at the two of them, but did not answer the Sea Ancestor's answer first. Instead, he said to the Mountain Ancestor:

"New talents emerge in every generation, and the Yangtze River's waves push the old ones forward. To meet someone as ambitious as you, I feel my life hasn't been in vain. I'd like to ask you this first: you no longer care about my alliance with your junior sister, right?"

The Mountain Ancestor glanced at Gong Heavenly Dao and the other cultivators at his feet, then at the expanding phantom of Mount Buzhou, before replying, "You could say that."

"It seems you were indeed the main instigator behind this war in the spirit world. Are you absolutely certain that you can use this opportunity to break through your limitations?"

The mountain patriarch sneered, "You're not too stupid; at least you haven't read that many books."

"Okay, I understand."

The Holy Ancestor seemed to sigh, "Unfortunately, you will never be the true victor."

"Say what you will, ideals are ultimately worthless in the face of real strength."

The Holy Ancestor turned and stared at the Sea Ancestor, saying, "Now I know why he ended up like this, and why I said you would never be number one."

Haizu asked, "Why exactly?"

The Holy Ancestor said, "You were able to forcibly merge the energy of the Boundary Sea into your own body. Not only me, but even he must have felt somewhat shocked. But this only proves one thing: you are ruthless enough to yourself!"

"But to become number one, being ruthless enough to yourself isn't enough..."

Hai Zu said, "Does it really mean we have to be like him, willing to kill our own master?"

"Killing his master was merely the most normal part of his many actions; his true nature is ruthless towards others as well! In my tens of thousands of years of cultivation, I have met many people, and clearly, he is the closest to the supreme powerhouses described in historical records."

"If you were to read the true history books, you would find that all the strongest people had one thing in common: in order to seize the highest position, they would even kill their parents, brothers, and children. What are teachers compared to these blood relatives?"

Haizu's breathing became somewhat heavy; she was once again stirred by the words of the Holy Ancestor.

She has always been a woman of deep affection; otherwise, she would never have fought against the Mountain Ancestor for so many years because of her father's death, persisting in her search for the truth, and even going so far as to merge the power of the Boundary Sea into herself.

Therefore, she had always found it difficult to understand her senior brother, Shanzu.

The two people have completely different worldviews. How can someone with their own world understand another person's different world?

However, the Holy Ancestor's words reminded her of the stories of the most powerful beings in the history books of immortals.

Hai Zu always disliked and rejected these historical records, believing them to be fabrications deliberately written by later generations to smear those supreme beings, and that such a person with such a depraved personality could not possibly exist.

That's why she's only now fully connecting her senior brother with those people.

Haizu seemed to understand everything, yet also seemed to understand nothing at all.

She looked up, her beautiful face revealing a hint of sadness.

"Is this the only way to become a true strong person?"

The Holy Ancestor sighed and did not answer her question.

Or rather, he was the same kind of person as Haizu.

Since he took control of the Haoran Realm, he has even guided the will of the Haoran Realm onto the right path, allowing all beings within the Haoran Realm to achieve good development.

However good the wishes may be, and how well things are developing, when faced with an attack from a powerful and ambitious figure like Shan Zu, all the beautiful things he has built up will face the challenge of being shattered.

This left even the Holy Ancestor feeling quite frustrated.

He had read countless books on the history of immortality, yet he still believed that the world needed to move in a better direction, otherwise everything would be destroyed.

However, just like the supreme powerhouses recorded in the history books of immortals, the benevolent and virtuous rulers among them are often not admired. On the contrary, those supreme powerhouses who stirred up seas of blood and mountains of corpses are the most remembered. Many people fantasize that they are such supreme powerhouses, who can be invincible and whose words can make the world bow down.

The Holy Ancestor even suspected that the world might have been heading towards destruction from the very beginning.

Otherwise, why is it that every time there is good progress, a supreme being who stands above all living beings always appears, trampling on all living beings, forcing them to submit, and forcing all living beings to suffer?

He even suspected that these supreme beings were specifically created to instigate the destruction of the world.

For a moment, even the Holy Ancestor felt that the world he saw was far too small, despite his extensive reading and cultivation to such a level.

However, the Spirit Realm is still far too small compared to the entire Boundary Sea.

"Alright, you two, stop wallowing in self-pity. Let me show you what true strength is, and what the true Heavenly Dao is."

Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs; the masses are ignorant, and a strong one is needed to govern the world!

The mountain ancestor uttered a vast and profound Daoist sound.

In an instant, all kinds of energy in the void, including the void itself, seemed to resonate with his voice.

The entire war zone trembled, and even the Mountain and Sea Realm behind it trembled, as if echoing the voice of the Mountain Ancestor.

Many cultivators swayed, even feeling their own power rapidly draining away, flowing in the direction of the Mountain Ancestor, towards the illusory image of Mount Buzhou.

Ning Qi's expression changed slightly.

His discerning golden eyes, already imbued with the aura of immortality, clearly saw that all the energy in this world was surging into the Mount Buzhou and into the body of the Mountain Ancestor.

He looked to his side and saw that the cultivators under Hai Zu, including Zhao Yujun, had turned pale with fear!

Ning Qi looked behind him and saw that the power within the two domains' armies, including Sword Ancestor Qi Keqing, was also being lost.

Ning Qi immediately sensed himself and discovered that the power within his body was also slightly overflowing.

However, with a quick thought, he drew upon the power from all directions he had gained after transcending the tribulation, and immediately stopped the energy overflow.

"Quickly, use the Tribulation-Born Myriad Paths Technique that I taught you when I helped you overcome your tribulations."

Upon hearing this, Sword Ancestor and the others immediately activated the Tribulation-Born Myriad Paths Technique.

Instantly, the loss of energy in their bodies stopped, and everyone was overjoyed.

They all looked at Ning Qi, unsure of what to say.

Did the Domain Lord foresee everything all along? Why is it that the Tribulation-Born Myriad Paths Technique can resist the power of the Mount Buzhou phantom?

If Ning Qi knew what they were thinking, he could only give a wry smile.

He couldn't possibly foresee everything; he merely understood, based on his own realm master system, that beings born into this world would have flaws.

Cultivators like Sword Ancestor Qi Keqing, who came from the Mountain and Sea Realm, all the cultivation they gained, even after mastering the power of rules and achieving the Dao Integration Realm, were merely using the energy of the Mountain and Sea Realm.

The Mountain and Sea Realm possesses its own will; what if it wanted to take everything back?

So, are they capable of fighting back? Obviously not!

Therefore, after Ning Qi overcame his own tribulation, he immediately helped Sword Ancestor and others overcome their tribulations, allowing them to break free from the control of the Mountain and Sea Realm and prepare for his later rebellion against the Mountain and Sea Realm.

Unexpectedly, it has now been used to resist the power of the Mountain Ancestor.

Ning Qi and the others looked at Zhao Yujun and the other cultivators under the Sea Ancestor's command beside them, and found that in just a short while, one-tenth of their power had been lost!

This is absolutely amazing!

Fortunately, they all closed their eyes tightly, gritted their teeth, and began to use the Secret Method passed down by the Sea Ancestor to resist the power of the Mountain Ancestor and Mount Buzhou.

However, the effect was clearly not as ideal as the Cultivation Method of Sword Ancestor and others; it only reduced the rate of energy loss.

Ning Qi was powerless to help, as it involved the power of Origin, and even if he wanted to, he couldn't.

Ning Qi looked again at the illusory figures of the Mountain Ancestor and Mount Buzhou.

Suddenly, blood-red flowers bloomed within Mount Buzhou, transforming into crimson snowflakes.

Upon seeing this, the Holy Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor's eyes widened in fury!

Those clusters of blood were none other than Gong Heavenly Dao and other cultivators from the Mountain and Sea Realm who had just been teleported in.

The mountain ancestor actually sacrificed them in front of everyone—his subordinates and followers.

Gong Heavenly Dao was the most powerful among them, and he only had his head left.

His head wobbled as it flew, looking up at the mountain ancestor above.

"Shanzu..."

However, a powerful force descended from the Mountain Ancestor, directly shattering his head and sending his Divine Soul flying out.

He blew another breath, scattering it.

"Once you become my subordinate, you should be prepared to give your life for me when needed. You should have known that from the beginning!"